To George Washington from John Harvie, 20 May 1785

From John Harvie

Land office [Richmond] May 20th 1785

Sir

When I last Wrote to you I did not Recollect of any Survey being in the Land office for the Round Bottom, except the One upon which your Grant Issued 1 but upon looking over the Caveat Book, I find a Survey for this Tract of Land return’d by the Heirs of Michael Cresup decd—and claim’d under a Certificate for Settlement made in the year 1771—Van Swearingen enter’d a Caveat against their Survey, which Caveat was dismiss’d during the Sessions of the last General Court, wherefore a Grant will shortly issue to the Heirs of Cresup—as you have already a title to this Land I should Suppose a Subsequent Grant cannot Effect your Right—yet perhaps it may be well for you to enter a Caveat against a Grant issueing to them upon this Survey—as it may hereafter prevent a tedious discussion of your Title in a Court of Chancery—if you choose to take this Step, you will be pleas’d to Transmit me your Instructions by the next post setting forth your Causes for Caveat—and the Law makes it necessary that you should make Oath before some Magistrate that you enter the Caveat with design to recover the Land for yourself and not in Trust for the Heirs of the sd Cresup—the General Intention of this Oath is to prevent friendly Caveats from being enter’d in the Land Office.2 I have the Honour to be Sir yr most Obt & Very H. Servt

More between these correspondents

The National Historical Publications and
Records Commission (NHPRC) is part of the National
Archives. Through its grants program, the NHPRC supports a wide range of activities to
preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources, relating to the history of
the United States, and research and development projects to bring historical records to the
public.

Founders Online is an official website
of the U.S. government, administered by the
National Archives and Records Administration
through the NHPRC, in partnership with the
University of Virginia Press,
which is hosting this website.